The Court of Cassation overturned a conviction of Claude Chossat,
self-proclaimed
"
repentant
" of a Corsican criminal gang, to two years in prison including one firm and 100,000 euros fine, considering that he had been tried twice for the same thing.
Read also: Eight years in prison for Claude Chossat, the self-proclaimed "repentant" of the Sea Breeze gang
In September 2018, the Bastia Court of Appeal condemned the former driver of Francis Mariani, considered to be one of the “
godfathers
” of the Brise de mer, for abuse of corporate assets, bankruptcy of a construction company, forgery and use of forgery, abuse of corporate assets and participation in a criminal association.
It was during his arrest in Marseille for this case that Claude Chossat had decided in 2009 to collaborate with the justice system by providing them with information on the Sea Breeze.
In its judgment of Wednesday, the Court of Cassation considers that the Court of Appeal did not take into consideration the principle "
ne bis in idem
" which means that one cannot be tried twice for the same facts.
She explains that "
facts which are inseparable from a single action characterized by a single guilty intention cannot give rise, against the same defendant, to two convictions of a criminal nature
".
In the case of Claude Chossat, the Court of Appeal, by condemning him for having kept irregular accounts, could not also condemn him for "
forgery
" and "
bankruptcy by keeping irregular accounts
", "
the second absorbing offense. fully the first
”.
The Court of Cassation therefore refers this case to the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal.
In November 2019, Claude Chossat was also sentenced at first instance to eight years in prison by the Assize Court of Bouches-du-Rhône for complicity in the assassination in 2008 of Richard Casanova, alleged founder of the Sea Breeze. .